The connoisseur of beauty would agree that it takes a beautiful pair of eyebrows to complete the face. Throughout history the greatest feminine beauties boasted feathered, voluptuous, arched or even deliciously dainty brows. For even the most stunning features fall flat without the frame of perfectly designed eyebrows.

Tweezing and then drawing and filling in a voluptuous eyebrow has been the traditional route to attain that perfect brow. But it’s tiresome. And let’s face it, we don’t always draw our eyebrows to perfection on a daily basis. Ahhh the burden of beauty!

But the playing field has recently changed. Advancements in beauty have come to the rescue of flailing eyebrows. Semi-permanent eyebrows that look natural? So natural in fact that it's difficult to distinguish if they are real or drawn in.

DavidBrowArt's signature microblading style - photo DavidBrowArt

Microblading is the new buzzword in the beauty field. Your new perfectly designed eyebrows leave you ready to face the world at any given time. Too good to be true? Truth be told, it’s so good and so true! For those struggling with bare or irregular eyebrows, a set of natural- looking full eyebrows is now finally and easily attainable.

Microblading is a relatively new technique in the beauty field that delivers an improved version of semi-permanent cosmetics. It’s not to be confused with a tattoo. It’s a semi-permanent procedure that is much less invasive.

Through an extra fine hand held tool a detailed eyebrow design is imprinted into the skin. While it does puncture the skin slightly, it does not penetrate deeply as a tattoo does. Unlike a tattoo, microblading has a limited lifespan.

So be prepared for your microbladed make-up to fade away after 2 to 3 years.

Because the needles used in microblading are much finer, it requires a greater eye for detail. But the advantage above all is the result. Semi-permanent eyebrows that are so meticulously drawn that each individual hairstroke is clearly detailed. To the visible eye, the hairs look real and the eyebrows seem natural.

The method is a stroke of genius, as well as a far cry from the heavy, unnatural tattoos you’ve seen on your great aunt.

In this interview, I sit down with the leaders of microblading – the team at DavidBrowArt. In fact, it’s founder David Zhang is the innovator of what is called the 6D microblading technique that draws individual hairs.

DAVIDBROWART – PIONEERS IN MICROBLADING

DavidBrowArt is based in the island republic of Singapore, although their trainings are held all across the world. David Zhang began as a make up artist before delving into the eyebrow tattoo industry where he was recognized for his skill and artisty. He moved from eyebrow tattoos to the new improved microblading, making it his forte when he invented the 6D eyebrow technique. Through the decades, he has gained a name as a leader in eyebrow beauty in South East Asia, then Europe and then America.

Refined, elegant semi-permanent eyebrows - - photo by DavidBrowArt

DavidBrowArt specializes in training eyebrow technicians to rise to the highest level of this unique art. They also have their own line of signature microblading tools and pigments that enhance the procedure and its results. Whilst David is the key figure in this influential company, his team includes Cilia, Danny and Sam.

David Zhang, founder of DavidBrowArt - photo by DavidBrowArt

His business partner Cilia is otherwise known as Master Cilia for her skill and prowess in semi-permanent make up. Sam is their creative director, and Danny holds a management & marketing position with DavidBrowArt globally.

I was looking forward to my appointment where I was set to meet Master Cilia herself. DavidBrowArt 's manager Danny was also present at the interview. It turns out I was about to have a very enjoyable chat with these two very warm, humble and inviting individuals.

Master Cilia resonates beauty inside and out - photo DavidBrowArt

At first glance, one might be inclined to assume that Cilia is a model or a lady of leisure enjoying a glamorous life in beautiful Singapore.

But there is much more to Cilia that meets the eye. Past her refined cheekbones, graceful beauty and elegant attire. Cilia is very much an artist. Her work emphasizes natural beauty and delicate enhancements. She explains that she sees microblading as a form of enhancement. One that does not change the face but rather frames it with enhancements where needed. She believes these subtle enhancements go a long way.

MEET MASTER CILIA

Cilia hails from China and is more proficient in Chinese, while speaking a splattering of English. And so Danny assists in the interview by translating Cilia’s words as well as adding feedback of his own.

Danny explains to me that before coming into the beauty line, Cilia was a model. “Being a model, beauty is something that is very important to her. She believes beauty lies in the character itself. Her principle in life is to be natural, even in beauty and herself as a person. She wants to be herself. She heard from a friend about a salon that does very natural eyebrows. So she decided to pay him a visit and that’s where they met and that’s where all the magic started.

THE BEGINNINGS

In 1996 she met David. At that point of time David was doing eyebrows tattoo. She liked his work very much. David saw her as someone who was very much into natural beauty. That was something they had in common. And so David suggested,” Why don’t we come together and create something. That’s when they went into microblading and came together to form this company.”

David Zhang in action - - photo by DavidBrowArt

I ask Danny for Cilia’s take on the current 6D nano technique that has taken Asia by storm. It uses a very fine blade to create individual hairs to fill in the eyebrow.

Danny explains as Cilia chimes in Chinese, “ The 6D nano technique has been around in the market for 8 years. It’s been 4 years since it spread to Europe and the US. It’s only in recent years that it spread to the US, before that it was mainly in Europe and Russia and England and Germany France and Spain. So Europe was their first stop. And then we went on to the States. Right now David is in Belgium as we speak having a training there. After that he will be teaching in Venice, Italy. ”

I ask, “How long has David been popular in the beauty field?”

Danny says “I can safely say for the past 20 years or 30 years. He has been in the industry for 35 years and counting. Cilia herself has been in the industry for 24 years and counting. So it’s only until then that they stepped outside of their comfort zone and went further to explore new possibilities in beauty.”

I ask, “Did Cilia and David begin in make up artistry?”

Danny, “Cilia herself was a model and knew make up through her line. David was in eyebrows all the way.”

Cilia chimes in, “ Many many years ago David was a make up artist.” She continues speaking in Chinese.

Cilia and David in one of their offices in Singapore - photo DavidBrowArt

AN EYE FOR DETAIL

Danny translates , “Basically she says that David has a habit of researching heavily. He has a very inquisitive mind. He’s a very detailed person. And so they started exploring possibilities. She was into beauty and David was more inclined tattoos. Back then, a tattoo was a permanent thing . Once its there it’s there. It’s painful, it’s dark and it doesn’t look good in time. The colors would change with time and turn blue and green. And so they started exploring semi-permanent colors. They wanted to see if they could play around with the colors and the pigments. And would it be possible to create 3 dimensional looking brows. So from there they went further into improved techniques that created 6D eyebrow microblading.”

Sam is the creative director of DavidBrowArt - photo DavidBrowArt

Danny translates as Cilia shares exuberantly, “She says that she combines aesthetics, facial features, understand the skin type, facial shape, the aesthetics of the face and so on. You have to consider scars on the face, the facial colors and what colors suit their skin. And so on. Only then you can decide on what is best for someone.”

I ask, “How long does it last?”

Cilia “ 6D eyebrows can last up to 3 to 5 years. But if you have oily skin then it may only last 2 years”

The oil released in oily skin pushes out the pigment more quickly over time.

I respond, “ It seems like an advantage because people tend to change their minds on what they like and the trends in society change as well. You can simply wait till the design fades and then choose your new look.”

So natural in every way - - photo by DavidBrowArt

Cilia sspeaks in Chinese which Danny translates, “ She feels that the 6D brow has an advantage over the Korean eyebrow trend. The Korean style is darker and after sculpting the skin fades off and the color is different. She also emphasizes looking to nature. Our eyebrows are made of hair so that’s why she feels that hair strokes are always the way to go.”

WHAT IS THE 6D NANO EYEBROW TECHNIQUE?

“Our 6D eyebrow Cilia emphasizes, is a technique that strongly follows the contours of your facial area, to create a more natural design for the eyebrow. So these factors are very important. That’s why she has always stood by hairlines and hair strokes for eyebrows regardless of the current trends. Of course you can combine styles but you should keep a foundation of hairlines and hairstrokes.”

Cilia trains a student - photo DavidBrowArt

KOREAN EYEBROW SHAPING

Cilia adds, “Korean eyebrow shaping is different from the 6D eyebrow shaping. The Korean eyebrow is like coloring with a pencil. But when I design eyebrows I draw each hair. ”

Danny explains further, “Korean eyebrows are like a shadow type of eyebrow. They’re called powder eyebrows. Basically they just shade the eyebrow. But for the hairstroke we want to keep it as close as possible to your natural eyebrows. Therefore she will customize every strand that is drawn on your eyebrow. Every single strand, every single eyebrow is customized and placed perfectly before they start the procedure.”

Training in progress - - photo by DavidBrowArt

DAVID ZHANG – FOUNDER OF THE 6D NANO BROW

David Zhang is the founder for this specific technique that uses individual hair strokes according to the contour of the face is his.”

I ask, “There are many salons that now use this technique. Did they derive from his method? ”

Danny, “ Yes. In fact we have a lot of students come to us who say that they saw a salon that does very nice microblading. And when we chat about it, we find out, Oh! They’re actually our students from many years ago.”

Danny, “A lot of our students enter contests. Various countries take part in contests and our students come out as champions. ”

THE RIGHT TOOLS

Cilia shares in Chinese and Danny says, “ She says that first of all, it’s the tools that we use. The needles and the blades, we are always trying to develop and refine the needles and the blades. So we’re trying to get it as fine as we can. As fine as 0.18 mm. Good tools combined with many years of experience - You put those two together and that’s how they produce fine hairlines to create natural brows.

The tools make all the difference - photo Sarah F.

PIGMENTS

As for the pigments, we use a nano technology that breaks down the pigments so that they can be absorbed into the skin faster. So of course the tools, the pigments they use, Cilia and David have great respect for the things that they use on their clients and for themselves.”

I ask, “ It appears that your emphasis is on training and teaching others rather than working on clients yourself”

Cilia mixes pigments - photo Sarah F.

Danny responds, “ Yes training is our core business. For David and Cilia it’s more of giving back to society. They want to spread the technique. They want to be able to pass this unique art onto the next generation. “

Cila speaks passionately in Chinese. Danny, “She and David reinvented the techniques. But we emphasize that David is the founder, the man behind the techniques. Cilia is the woman behind the scenes. She's a family person and she wants it to remain this way. ”

Cilia smiles in agreement.

Cilia prepares the final color - photo Sarah F.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Danny goes on, “Cilia says that even in the current market, a lot of technicians cannot achieve what their clients want. They want a natural look that’s long lasting. They want a no pain procedure. But this is what DavidBrowArt has succesfully achieved through the years. This is what DavidBrowArt prides itself on. Natural microblading with no pain, no bleeding and no swelling.”

UNDERSTANDING CLIENTS

Cilia speaks and Danny translates, “ She says that to do a perfect eyebrow you have the understand the skin, the facial aesthetics, lighting and the color gradient. Even the menstruation period does affect your experience."

I lay back and relax while she weaves her artistic touch - photo Sarah F.

"Because during a women’s cycle she is more sensitive. Before we even start a procedure, these are a few factors that they will take time to study first. So when customers come in, we don’t have them lie down and immediately do the procedure. They come in and we ask them questions. We want to understand the client. We look at their facial aesthetics. We try to understand their skin. We have to understand their daily habits and their medical condition before we even begin to design what’s right for them.”

Cilia says, “ I give them a customer form to fill in.” Danny adds, “ So once we have all this information on the form. We begin to churn out a report. Then they go through the report with the client. Then we offer a design based on this. After which the client signs off on it and only then do we begin the procedure. “

Cilia and Danny warmly invite me to DavidBrowArt - photo Sarah F.

KEEPING IT NATURAL

I respond, "It sounds to me like you want to enhance what’s natural and there’s a real eye for detail and excellence. The focus is on a unique custom design rather than following trends, on top of a great care for each client.

Danny replies, “Correct. We don’t follow the trends. We know that trends are something we can’t avoid if the individual wants it. But to us, we recognize that every customer has a different skin tone, hair … ”

Thicker eyebrows can be designed as well - - photo by DavidBrowArt

CUSTOM MADE EYEBROWS

Cilia sums it up, “Every customer has a different texture of eyebrow hair, different shape of eyes and eyebrow bones.”

Danny continues, “They don’t draw a template like most salons do. We customize their eyebrows like a tailor makes a custom made suit.”

MICROBLADING IS METICULOUS

"We take about 20 to 30 minutes to understand the client. The procedure itself is about 1 ½ to 2 hours. It’s a tedious process to understand the client. First she will study the client’s eyebrows. She wants to know, Has she done any procedures before? Has she done any laser or microblading before? Does have any scars. What are the colors of her eyebrow? What is lifestyle? What is her career? Is she a careerwoman? Does she hold a normal executive level or is she a housewife ? Is she a partygoer? So we study her lifestyle and personality first and then we go into her diet. Is she on her menses or is she pregnant? Cilia and David ask questions like a doctor would. For eg, do you have any illnesses or allergies?”

DIET AFFECTS MICROBLADING?

I question, “ So how does diet affect the microblading experience”

Danny translates Cilia once again “ She says diet affects micropigmentation on the lips. For the eyebrows it’s ok as long as you don’t touch the work for a few days. The lips take longer to heal. So pay attention to the food you eat and avoid spicy foods during the healing process. With lip pigmentation we study gum hygiene, how often the client brushes their teeth, and if they smoke. All these are related to lip microblading. The swelling after lip microblading depends on the colors as well as the thickness of the client’s lips. It’s subjective.”

Cilia speaks and Danny translates, “ As for eyeliner microblading, our signature technique is very different from the norm. The way we do it is different. The pigment is added to the under layer of the eyelid so that when you close your eyes you can’t see the line.

NATURAL EYELINER

You can only see the eyeliner when you open your eyes. It follows the hair root and the natural contour of the eyelashes and looks completely natural while enhancing the eye.”

MEN’S EYEBROWS

Another signature treatment we have is the men’s eyebrow. Men’s eyebrow microblading is becoming more popular these days. Men want natural brows and microblading can achieve this.

But if enhancement is not needed Cilia won’t do it. That’s the message she wants to spread out. And this is the same message she teaches during her training programs - The natural look is beautiful. If you want to beautify a person, you build on their natural beauty. You don’t want to change their face in a harsh way. Of course it’s subject to the customer’s request as well. We will take it into consideration.”

Cilia shares excitedly in Chinese. Danny translates, “ Cilia is saying that DavidBrowArt is an International Academy now. We do this for the passion of the art. To David and Cilia, they’re not just artists. They love what they do. They put passion into it. They don’t just educate on the technique or teach on the skin. They teach their students how to love eyebrows and how to love their clients. And they want to spread that passion across the world.”

Each hair is precisely drawn - - photo by DavidBrowArt

5 DAYS OR 1 MONTH?

I ask, “ How long do you train them?”

Danny says, “The basic foundation is 5 days.

But if you talk about a very in depth study that included mastery of the technique through practise, then the training would take a month. Of course this one month excludes personal practise on their own free time. During the month they come in everyday and draw for Cilia to see. They ask her how to customize the lines,etc. The entire process for a student to have a really good foundating and understanding requires the month. So that’s why over here in Cilia’s office. We do only one on one trainings. We started off as a marketing office and a warehouse. But then we decided to try something special for passionate students and there came the one on one training. The cost of the 5 days training with Master Cilia is S$5800. We have students coming from all around the world, Malaysia, Mauritius, Europe, etc."

Master Cilia's 6D eyebrow - photo DavidBrowArt

Danny adds, “ Usually when people do a group training, it’s a 1, 2 or 3 day training. But the time frame is limited. And not every artist is a good trainer. An artist is an artist but a trainer is a trainer. You can’t guarantee that every student gets 100% out of the training.

Master Cilia has some training background herself. So during these one on one sessions we not only teach the technique, we also want to correct their bad habits.

Cilia works on a client - photo DavidBrowArt

HAND IN HAND TRAINING

We also teach on good practise and customer services. Plus we arrange a live model for them to practise on. Here the student will assist. But one very unique point about our training is that Cilia will hold the student’s as they draw on the live model. I don’t believe a lot of teachers do this.

She holds their hand so they can feel and learn how to hold the tool.”

I respond, “ It seems that the students can feel the muscles in the teachers hand. That’s what they say about learning golf. When you have a master golfer holding you and showing you the swing, you learn faster and pick up subtle points that cannot be relayed in words. “

Cilia takes great care in one on one trainings - photo DavidBrowArt

Cilia says brightly, “ Yes ! You’re smart! ”

Danny adds, “ And its not just Cilia, but David our founder and Sam our creative director, they also do this for all our students.”

I respond, “ I believe that what happens when your teacher holds your hand, you feel their frame of mind. What I can see about Cilia is that she is very peaceful. “

Cilia replies, “ Yes! When the student is nervous, I hold their hands while training. Then they see that oh! It’s so comfortable. And that’s how they learn.”

I get the impression that Cilia is not just teaching the technique of microblading but really guiding her students to enjoy the process and relax into it. Eyebrow microblading at DavidBrowArt is truly regarded as a form of art. I’m impressed by the high regard they place on the many unique details involved in the process.

David's students are thrilled to learn the trade - photo DavidBrowArt

TEACHING THROUGH SONG

“They even use a folk song to teach their students, ”says Danny. I was completely taken aback by this statement. A folk song? Danny replies, “Yes. Through a folk song they draw the eyebrows.”

I exclaim, “What does that mean?” Danny explains, “ This song is an old folk song from China. They used the tune and rephrased the lyrics and created a version that would help their students in the process of drawing.”

A student's drawing during practice with David - photo DavidBrowArt

Cilia attempts to explain, “With 6D microblading there are 3 unique points.” And she goes on to speak in Chinese. Danny translates “ This 6D microblading has 3 unique points. When we design the eyebrow, before the actual procedure itself. We begin with designing 3 dimensional eyebrows for the clients. We use a pencil on the skin to create a 3 dimensional design.”

They begin to explain to me how this old Chinese folk song has 3 elements to it. It’s about a girl travelling on a journey and in her journey there are 3 stages. These 3 stages represents the rise up the hill, the first leg of the eyebrow which travels upward and then arriving at the hill, which is the arch of the eyebrow and then the journey downhill, which is the tail of the eyebrow. I’m completely floored by this unusual method of training.

The surprise on my face has Cilia laughing. She says she will show me how this works.

She proceeds to use a special pencil to draw on the palm of her hand. She swiftly sketches a beautiful 3 dimensional eyebrow while singing in a childlike voice. The simplicity of this technique reveals a mark of genius. I can see how the song helps the student relax, whilst the lyrics of the song which mimic the eyebrow actually help the student focus on marking the eyebrow at each stage of the “journey”.

Cilia designed a beautiful set of eyebrows for me photo Sarah F.

Danny goes on to say, “Everyone in Europe and Asia that knows DavidBrowArt is aware that we teach through a song. Every eyebrow is drawn through a song.”

BEAUTY NATURALLY!

I am reminded of the power of simplicity. A child-like song is able to direct the mind and assist in delivering art.

After seeing her results, I must agree DavidBrowArt’s heartfelt mission in delivering the most natural technique does indeed produce the most beautiful result. While there are many artists who produce more dramatic eyebrows, it seems to blare like a loudspeaker against a delicate song.

There is a simple beauty found in natural lines and contours. And this beauty can’t be paralleled. DavidBrowArt has perfected the art of eyebrow enhancement.